Liquid-heating device



Aug. 31 1926.

U. G. LEE

' LIQUID HEATING DEVICE Filed April 18 1923 @sses GCLee, ,b W WW 4 Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT UL ss sG. LEE, or crncaeo, "item-61s? l LIQUID-HEATING nnvrcn'nl Application filed April 18, 1923. Serial at. 632,922;

My present invention relates to improvements in heat generators for-heating fluid' struction and arrangement and-combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a sectional'elevation", largely of a diagrammatlc nature, showlng one embod1-' ment of my invention.

Fig. 2-is a similar view, showing it as adapted to heat the combustible mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine. Referring by reference characters to these drawings, the numeral 1 designates aclosed container for holding the fluid to be-heated,

which may be provided withf-a steam dome 1, from which steam may be'drawn'when the device is only used for a-steam'generator. A rotary shaft 3 is journaled in the container walls and is'designed to be driven suitable" means, for

at high speed by any example belt pulley 3. I

Shaft 3 carries agitating means such as spaced radial blades 3 designed to cooperate with alternating spaced blades 1 rigidly carried by the container? walls. A pipe 4 connects the lower part of the container,

preferably the bottom; with the lower part of an expansion chamber 6 having filling means, such for example as. nozzle 6 preferably located at such a point as to preserve an air space above the normal liquid level shown. The expansion chamber may be provided with a pressure gage indicated at 12, and means are provided for introducing additional air into the chamber 6 to increase the air pressure above the liquid, which means may take the form of an air pump 13.

In the operation of the device above described, the violent agitation of the liquid in container 1 heats it in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art, until the generation of steam in the container causes pressure above the surface of the liquid, forcing some of the liquid out into the expansion tank, thus lowerin the level in the container 1, until more or less of the blades and battles project above the surface pressure and retards the liquid level in the container 1.

ofthe liquid, which decreases the heating effect of thev agitator. If the temperature drops, the steam condensesand the liquid level rises, whereby-the heating effect is increased.

. To cause the heater to raise'the temperature above normal boiling point, it is only necessary to "pump additional air into the expansion chamber, which increases the lowering of the In the form shown in Fig. 2, in which the apparatus is applied to heating the combustible nuxture of an internal combustion engine, the contalner 1s shown as secured to the engine block 2 and the shaft 3 is suitable manner,

driven from the engine in as by bevel gears 3 and 3.

The interior of the container is connected by the flow and return pipes a and 4:? with a closed annular fluid chamber 6 surrounding the fluid intake 7 of theengine, the connection of one of the pipes (49 for example) being preferably made through an auxiliary heating chamber 8 pipe 9. The chamber 6 is provided with a surrounding the exhaust filling'nozzle 6 capable of being hermetically closed by a removable filling cap 6, the filling nozzle being located at'such a height that a certain amount of air will be entrapped in the system after the remainder thereof has been filled, as indicated by the water level shown in the drawing.

Preferably cross tubes 6' are providedin the lower part of the chamber which extend through the intake chamber 7 and increase the heating efliect.

The circulating pipe 4 which carries the fluid away from the heater connects to the container at a point opposite the lower paddle wheel and tangent to the outer circumference of the wheel after the manner of a .tainer, which may take the form of an air pump 13, shown conventionally.

A pressure gage may be provided, as indicated at 12.

In the operation of this form of my apparatus, the engine having been started, the

- violent agitation of the liquid quickly heats the same and the heated fluid circulates through the heating chamber 6, thus heating the combustible mixture passing through the intake pipe.

When the liquid has been heated to the point of generating steam, pressure of the latter, accumulating in the top of container 1,will lower the level of liquid in the container and expose some of the paddles, which will decrease the mechanical heating effect, and thereafter the temperature of the fluid will be automatically maintained.

Should it be desired to heat the liquid above the normal boiling temperature, additional air may be introduced into the system, thus increasing the air pressure above the liquid in chamber 6, which would require a corresponding higher steam pressure in container 1 to uncover any of the agitator blades.

After the engine has been operated for a material length of time, the exhaust pipe heats up and the heat thereof is imparted to the fluid by auxiliary heater I have found that such an exhaust heater is sufficient when the engine is run on an open throttle, but not when on a closedor partly closed throttle, the temperature of the exhaust pipe varying under operating conditions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a fluid heating system, the combination with a pipe containing the fluid to be heated, of an hermetically closed chamber surrounding said pipe, an hermetically closed mechanical'liquid heater, and pipe connections therefrom to said closed chamber, the pipe connections between said chamher and heater being so arranged that the mechanical action of the heater causes a forced circulation through said connections.

2. The combination with an hermetically closed liquid heating chamber, of a mechanical agitator located therein and comprising a series of agitating blades arranged at varying elevations, means for operating said agitator, and an hermetically closed expansion tank connected with the lower portion of said heating chamber, said tank and the quantity of liquid therein being so arranged and proportioned that steam pressure in said heating chamber causes liquid to be expelled into the expansion tank, thereby uncovering more or less of the agitator blades and reducing the heatingaction.

3. The combination with an hermetically closed liquid heating chamber, of a mechanical agitator located therein and comprising a series of agitating blades arranged at varying elevations, means for operating said agitator, and an hermetically closed expansion tank connected with the loWer portion of said heating chamber, said tank and the quantity of liquid therein being so arranged and proportioned that steam pressure in said heatingchamber causes liquid to be expelled into the expansion tank, thereby uncovering more or less of the agitator blades and reducing the'heating action, and means for varying the air pressure in said expansion tank above the liquid level therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ULYSSES e. LEE. 

